Hilton Als on Diane Arbus in Manhattan
Co-presented with the UCLA Department of Art History as part of the 2025-26 UCLA Art Council Distinguished Scholar Lectureship in Art History
An exploration of the significance of Manhattan in Diane Arbus’ seminal work: In this lecture, the esteemed writer, curator, and critic Hilton Als talks not only about the artist's relationship to her place of origin in Manhattan, but how he himself and many other writers, ranging from Walt Whitman to Elizabeth Hardwick, have responded to the island as well. Through this attention to the city, Als opens up a new way of understanding Arbus’ interest in “difference,” seen as a kind of moniker or badge of being a Manhattanite—Arbus’ preferred citizenship.
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Hilton AlsPhoto by Ali Smith
Generously funded by the UCLA Art Council, the Distinguished Scholar Lectureship in Art History brings to the Department an esteemed figure in the field on an annual or biannual basis. In addition to a public lecture, the UCLA Art Council Distinguished Scholar in Art History shares their work through additional lectures, seminars, or courses, allowing for deeper and extended engagement with Art History faculty, students, and others in the UCLA community. Recent honorees have included Sally Stein, Hal Foster, Geeta Kapur, T.J. Clark, and Thierry de Duve. For the 2025-26 Lectureship, the esteemed writer, curator, and critic Hilton Als will visit UCLA for two public events at the Hammer Museum, and a series of graduate seminars on campus
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